“Surrender and you won’t be killed!”
Xu Xiao shouted this with all his strength.
This was what Jin Feng had taught him and the other captains last night after familiarising them with the military formation.
At the time, Xu Xiao hadn’t taken it seriously, and some captains even thought Jin Feng was overreaching.
In their view, repelling the Dangxiang cavalry today would already be a great victory, let alone capturing them.
What was he thinking?
Yet Jin Feng had done it.
Using pit traps and the Macedonian phalanx, he showed them that cavalry were not invincible!
“Surrender and you won’t be killed!”
All the soldiers echoed Xu Xiao’s shout in unison.
Their voices were united and resolute, brimming with killing intent!
At that moment, the Tielin Army’s morale reached its peak!
The warhorses under the Dangxiang cavalry seemed to sense the danger, retreating instinctively.
But with Zhong Wu’s phalanx pressing in from the rear, where could they retreat to?
For years, the Dangxiang had raided the Central Plains’ borders annually, plundering grain, money, and people.
In this era, captives had no rights. Han people taken to Dangxiang lands were treated worse than livestock, with few surviving beyond three years.
So the Dangxiang cavalry knew well that surrender meant endless labour until death.
Moreover, for years they had dominated the Dakang army in battle. Despite this defeat, their pride remained, and they could not bring themselves to surrender to a defeated foe.
“Brothers, hold on! The commander will surely send help!”
A Dangxiang leader roared, “When they do, we’ll slaughter these Dakang men and go to the Central Plains to take their grain and women!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
All the Dangxiang cavalry raised their curved sabres, roaring at the sky.
“If you want to die, I’ll grant your wish!”
The conflict between Dakang and Dangxiang had lasted decades, their mutual hatred irreconcilable.
For the Tielin soldiers, they preferred to kill every Dangxiang rather than persuade them to surrender.
The Dangxiang’s decision suited them perfectly.
Xu Xiao and Zhong Wu simultaneously ordered the phalanxes to quicken their attack pace.
The phalanxes pressed forward relentlessly, forcing the Dangxiang cavalry to keep retreating.
At the Dangxiang camp, a swift horse galloped towards the central command tent.
Patrolling soldiers immediately drew their sabres, blocking the path.
But seeing the red plume on the rider’s helmet, they quickly stepped aside.
This was a red-plume urgent messenger, carrying the most critical military news, and no one could obstruct them under penalty of death.
Inside the tent, a group of Dangxiang leaders sat.
Hearing the hoofbeats, the Dangxiang southern expedition commander, Zhang Jikui, smiled, “Haha, it seems the battle is already over, even faster than I expected.”
“Commander, Qinghuai was wounded yesterday. Even if he’s not dead, he can’t command a battle. Without Qinghuai, the Tielin Army is like a wolf without teeth, easily crushed with a single kick.”
“The Tielin Army excels at guerrilla tactics, always fleeing into the mountains like cunning foxes. This time, let’s see where they run!”
“If Qinghuai dares abandon Qingshui Valley and flee, the Dakang emperor will kill him without us lifting a finger!”
“Congratulations, Commander, on crushing the Tielin Army!”
The Dangxiang leaders stood, gleefully flattering him.
“Hahaha!”
Zhang Jikui slapped the table in delight, “Once we take Qingshui Valley, we’ll march south to the Central Plains. Prepare yourselves, how much you plunder depends on you.”
“Haha, rest assured, Commander, I won’t let you down.”
“We’ll head to the Central Plains now, just as the wheat ripens.”
“Haha, Central Plains women are soft as water. This time, I’ll grab a few tender ones to warm my bed in winter.”
“Yeli Lang, didn’t you take over thirty last year?”
“Ugh, don’t mention it. Central Plains women can’t handle the cold. They all froze to death last winter.”
“You didn’t even give them tents, let alone clothes. No wonder they froze.”
“Clothes are costly. Better to cover lambs with them. If they freeze, I’ll just grab more this year.”
“Yeli Lang, a few women are enough. Why take so many? Better to grab some men who can work.”
…
The Dangxiang leaders were eagerly planning what to plunder in the Central Plains.
Only Li Jikui’s aide was concerned, “Commander, our forces aren’t fully assembled yet. Should we march now?”
Recently, the Dangxiang had clashed with the Dashi people to the west, and many cavalry units were still fighting there, with several not yet returned.
The main goal of this southern expedition was plunder, so they had prepared many carts for loot.
The carts moved slowly, so escorted by three thousand cavalry, they had set out early to wait at the border.
The western campaign had ended, and the cavalry units would arrive in the coming days.
“The cavalry are fast. They can catch up when they arrive,” Li Jikui said casually.
The aide wanted to say more, but hearing the red-plume messenger’s horse stop outside, he held his tongue, planning to advise Li Jikui later that night.
The red-plume messenger stumbled into the tent. Before he could speak, Li Jikui asked, “How many Tielin soldiers escaped? Did you capture Qinghuai?”
“Reporting to the Commander, the front is in crisis! General Yeli Xiong’s unit is entirely trapped by the Tielin Army in Qingshui Valley, with heavy casualties!”
The messenger said urgently.
“What did you say? Yeli Xiong is trapped by the Tielin Army in Qingshui Valley with heavy losses?”
Li Jikui and the Dangxiang leaders thought they had misheard.
Only the old aide remained clear-headed, grabbing the messenger and asking, “Quick, what happened?”
“Sir, the Tielin Army somehow learned a new formation…”
The messenger quickly recounted the battle he had seen from a high vantage point, “When I left to report, General Yeli Xiong’s fifteen hundred cavalry had lost hundreds, and the rest were trapped by the Tielin Army in Qingshui Valley.”
Now, Li Jikui and the Dangxiang leaders realised the gravity of the situation, their faces turning grim.
They had only three thousand cavalry, and half, the more elite half, had been sent out to crush the Tielin Army.
If these fifteen hundred were lost, the consequences would be dire.
“What is Yeli Xiong doing? What formation can’t his heavy-armoured vanguard break through?”
Li Jikui roared, slamming the table.
“Commander, the Tielin Army dug many deep pits in the ground. Horses’ legs break when they step in.”
The messenger replied cautiously, “The Tielin Army camouflaged the pits. The vanguard wasn’t prepared, suffered heavy losses, and was completely wiped out!”
“The vanguard was completely wiped out?!”
This news hit Li Jikui and the Dangxiang leaders like a hammer to the heart.
